I'll Only Serve You, My Lord
by Symphonic Fantasia
Summary: He wanted to be the king of Demon World. He made it his goal over the course of the year to be strong enough to win. It was her goal to make sure that within that year he would be ready. It was her goal to make sure he was King.


**Author's Notes: I've been wanting to write this for years. It was written before, but I deleted it. I wasn't happy with it. I am, however, much happier with this one. Not by much, but just enough.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, blah blah, you know the drill. I do, however, own Junko. I created her out of the crevices of my mind and put her here where she, slightly, belongs.  
**

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"Impossible." Koenma narrowed his eyes as he stared at the map of the three worlds. With the reign of King Enki drawing to a close, he felt obligated to keep a close eye on demons activities within the human world. Some were normal and didn't raise any red flags to him. There was one that did and it worried him more than anything. A demons energy appearing in the demon world wasn't something he needed to worry about. It was the fact that this demons energy was in the demon world at one moment and then clear across the human world in the next. Koenma had seen records of demons crossing the border but he had never seen one do such a long distance in a short amount of time.

Who was this demon and how did they do it? Was it an ability? If so, how long have they had this ability? Were they a threat to the Human world once Enki was no longer king? These were answers that Koenma needed desperately.

"Botan."

"Yes, sir?" the grim reaper asked, appearing at his side.

"Find this demon for me," he answered, holding out a map of the demons recent whereabouts. "Bring them to me but be careful. We don't know what this demon is capable of and we can't risk losing you to it."

Botan took the map and stared at it before tucking it into her pink kimono. "Yes, sir. I'll be back as soon as I can. If I see any danger, I'll be sure to flee."

"Good. On your way." Koenma watched as his assistant disappeared, preparing herself for the journey ahead. He could only hope that this demon would do no harm upon meeting her. Unless he wanted to investigate for himself, he would have to leave it in Botan's control.

He hoped for her safe return.

The years had went by slowly for the former members of the Urameshi team. After the first Demon World Tournament and Yusuke's return to the Human World, each member had drifted apart, going their own separate ways. Kuwabara made his way through high school, eventually entering college to become a teacher. Yusuke continued to run the noodle stand, saving up money for his and Keiko's future wedding. Although engaged for a couple of months, they had made no plans to start the wedding. Yusuke firmly believed that he should have enough savings to start their life together before they officially started the plans. Keiko seemed bitter about it at first but she eventually accepted it, understanding where he was coming from. All she knew she could do now was to wait patiently.

Kurama (or Shuichi Minamino as he prefered when in the human world) finished high school but decided not to continue his education. The idea of going to college and living the typical human life never thrilled him and it was never a path he wanted to take. Instead, he took up a job at his stepfather's office, working various hours if need be. Work distracted him from the split of their team and he gladly welcomed it. Hiei continued his work as the defense force within Demon World until the next tournament came close. With news of a possible ruler coming to term, he left the compound to places unknown. Occasionally, Hiei would show up at Kurama's but only for a moment. In those times, Kurama was never able to find out exactly what Hiei was up to after quitting his job. His only assumption was that he was training for the next tournament, a thing that many demons were doing as well.

This was what their team had dwindled down to. Being apart from one another as if their past have never happened. Kurama understood that they all had their own duties and lives to do. At times, though, he couldn't help but miss those old days. Fighting demons and making sure they all stayed alive. Now, years later, it seemed as if they had all drifted too far apart to even reconnect. Occasionally, he would spend time with Kuwabara or Yusuke (Kuwabara especially) but he yearned to one day spend time as the team they once were. To spend time as the Urameshi team even if it was just sitting around or even fighting demons. Sadly, such a thing couldn't happen with their busy lives.

Even now, as he remained in his cubicle of his stepfather's office, Kurama had hoped to see his comrades. He saw Kuwabara almost regularly at times, but Yusuke and Hiei were the odd ones. He ran a hand down his face. There was no sense in being bothered by it. One day, he will be able to see his friends together again.

Looking up at the time, he let out a sigh. It was getting late. Kurama shuffled his papers together and slipped them into his briefcase. The only sound in the office were his shoes against the linoleum. Everyone had gone home early instead of staying behind to finish more work. The more the year dragged on, the more it seemed like he was the only one who spent many hours working. Even his step-father left early on occasion. It wouldn't be long before he was the only one.

Kurama didn't mind, though. Working along was better for him and it cleared his mind well. Or at least, it usually did. Why it didn't tonight, he did his best not to dwell on it. It would only do him more harm than good. He stepped in the elevator and took the long ride down to the lobby. The only one there was the security guard. They nodded to one another and said goodnight. Stepping out into the cool night air felt relieving after sitting in the stuffy office all day. He took a deep breath and started on the path to his home. By the time he arrived home, his family would be sitting around either watching TV or doing some last-minute work. Dinner would be on the counter for him, ready for him to heat it up if he was hungry.

He stopped at the corner of the block.

Why should he go home and eat dinner there when there was another place he could go to? A place where he knew people and could talk to them. A place where he could talk to the exact people he had wanted to talk to. Kurama smiled at this idea. Yes, this was exactly what he would do. He turned and walked back down the way he had come from. It wasn't too far from where he worked so it wouldn't take him long to get there. Kurama was certainly excited for this.

"Thanks! See ya around!"

Once the customer left, Yusuke took the bowl and dumped it into a bin full of water. It would be closing time soon and he could hardly wait to get home. It had been a long and busy day, one that he was happy to end. He took a notepad and looked around at his inventory, making a note of what he would need soon.

"You have time for one more customer?"

Hearing that voice, Yusuke was immediately filled with energy. He turned around, giving Kurama his biggest grin. "Always time for you, buddy. How have you been?"

"I've been well," Kurama responded as he sat. "And you? I hear you've been busy."

"Eh," Yusuke muttered, turning his back to him. "I am and I'm not. It's a little of both, really. Just doing my best to save enough money for this wedding." He started preparing a beef bowl for his friend, using the best of his ingredients.

Kurama smiled. "Regardless, it is good to see that you are doing well. I wish you the best of luck in your finances. And... if you need any help, please come to me. I wouldn't mind helping you towards your marriage funds."

Yusuke gawked at this as he placed the bowl before his friend. "I can't make you do that, man. I wouldn't be able to say I did it on my own if I ask for help from ya."

He couldn't help but laugh at this statement. "I recall Kuwabara mentioning that there is nothing wrong with guys needing one another. Do you not believe his words?"

With a grin, he took of his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. There was no way he couldn't believe those words. There were more times than he could count that he needed his team to have his back. "Yeah, I get what you mean. If you don't mind, though, I'll do my best to do it on my own. That cool with you?"

"Naturally," Kurama answered, his smile never faltering. "You do what you must, as they say." Picking up his chopsticks, he took a bite of the noodles Yusuke presented before him. As usual, they were delicious. The moments he enjoyed Yusuke's cooking was rare but he savored every moment. It was always as glorious as the last.

"Hey! You got room for one more!"

It seemed as if his earlier thoughts were coming true. Kurama looked over his shoulder, finding Kuwabara grinning at them. "Please, join us! We were just starting."

Without being told twice, Kuwabara sat down, letting out a sigh. "Man, today was tough. How have you two been today? It's like my day was nothing but cramming for tests!"

"Hey, that's what college is about! So, you better not slack off!" Yusuke threatened as he turned around to make another bowl of noodles for his friend.

"I don't plan to, Urameshi. So long as you don't slack off, I won't slack off!"

Kurama smiled, feeling at peace. If Hiei was here, it would make everything complete. Two out of three was still good and he wasn't about to knock it. With how rare it was to get everyone together, he wasn't about to. This was good and he was going to enjoy the moment. They talked the hours away, not paying attention to anything that happened around them. Occasionally, another customer came by but they left after they ate and paid. Other than that, it was just them and no one else.

It felt as if an entire day had passed since he sent Botan to bring in the demon with the mysterious energy around town. Truthfully, it had only been a few hours. Time had slowed down for him and trekked by even slower. Stress and worry was clearly there in his features and he suckled on his pacifier to try to relieve some of it to no avail. Even Orge, the loyal servant that he was, tried to help him by bringing forth some food. Nothing helped at all and it wouldn't. Not until Botan returned safe.

"Sir! Botan has arrived!"

Koenma released a breath of relief. He thought he would die at a young age. He cleared his throat and sat up in his chair. "Send her in." In a matter of minutes, Botan entered the room, a girl walking behind her. "Is this the demon?"

Botan nodded. "Yes." She looked over at the girl, staring into her grey eyes with her pink ones. "Please introduce yourself to Koenma."

The demon took a step forward, clasping her hands in front of her. "My name is Junko, sir."

Koenma raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Junko, hm? Well, you seem... harmless enough. Then again, I've said that a lot about other demons and they have proven me wrong more often than I care to admit."

"I am sorry for that, sir," she replied, bowing her head. "May I ask, though, have I done something wrong? I do not understand why you called me to come before you."

"Well, with the Demon World Tournament coming up, Lord Enki's reign will soon be finished. A close eye had been kept on the demons in the human world and your energy is a bit too strange." Koenma watched her. He waited for any sort of response, either from her eyes or a twitch of her body. She stood before him, calm and standing tall. By the look of her, one would think that she did nothing wrong. For all Koenma knew, she really hasn't. Safety was their main concern over being sorry. "You disappear to and from the demon world far too quickly for any normal demon; you cover great distances as well.

"I wouldn't be so concerned if the timing was a bit off. It's quicker than even demons we've recorded." Koenma narrowed his eyes at her. "We brought you here so that I may ask you one simple question: how do you do it?"

The demon took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She knew it was only a matter of time before Spirit World called upon her. It was obvious it would happen sooner with the barrier between words gone. Now there was nothing hiding Junko or her powers. "Before I show you, I would like you to know that I did not mean any harm to the human world in any way. Feasting on them, or even harming them, never settled well with my stomach."

He raised an eyebrow at her words. Her admittance did little to calm his nerves, but it was good to know that hurting any humans weren't her forte. He watched her carefully as she raised a hand and snapped her fingers. For a while, nothing happened and then, all at once, a cut appeared beside her. It opened slowly until it resembled a tear in fabric. His mouth opened, his pacifier dropping from his lips.

It was extraordinary.

Another person would assume that it was simply a trick of light, perhaps something that magicians would do. Koenma knew better. Even Botan did. What they saw, staring into the darkness of the tear, was a rift between dimensions.

"T-that's impossible!" Botan exclaimed. She walked towards Koenma's desk, whether for protection or simply to get away from Junko, one couldn't say.

"As you can see, it is not."

Koenma frowned and leaned back into his chair. Out of all the things he could have expected, this was not one of them. Just knowing that it was happening before him was causing his head to ache. "How long have you had this power? More importantly, what have you been doing with it?" It seemed silly to reason with a demon. If it was any other case, Koenma would have immediately locked them up and sent them to prison. Junko was a special case, though. Not only did she willingly let Botan lead her to Spirit World, but she had no problem in telling Koenma the absolute truth. He didn't want to say that he could trust her, but he could say that he believed her.

"I have had this ability for as long as I can remember. I suppose you would call my type... a serving class?"

"That's a new one for the books..." Botan muttered to Koenma, pouting slightly.

"It is."

"Is there anything else?" Junko asked, tilting her head to the side.

He couldn't let her leave. At least, not now. Junko could be a valuable asset to Spirit World and their detective team. Missions could be handled quickly and, quite possibly, more efficiently. It would be ludicrous to let her go. "There is. Would you be interested in helping Spirit World with your powers?" It was quick, but he saw Junko's eyes narrow for just a moment. "You would still be able to pass between both worlds, even after the barrier returns, without being deemed a threat by us. I can't always promise—"

"I am sorry, Lord Koenma, but I will have to refuse your invitation," she interrupted with a slight bow of her head. "Being a detectives aid is not on my agenda for life."

"Please, be reasonable," Botan interjected. "Would you really like to be branded as an enemy to Spirit World and be hunted down like a wild animal for the rest of your life?"

Junko smiled. It wasn't eerie, or mocking, or even sweet. It was just a simple smile. And it sent a chill down both Botan and Koenma's backs. "Lord Koenma can send whoever he wants after me but we all know that it would be pointless. It would be too easy for me to escape and I never said I had to step foot in either worlds. I could simply stay in between dimensions, watching everything that happened safely."

She was right, as much as he hated to admit it. It would waste resources and time on demons who they could actually catch and apprehend. Unfortunately, they were now stuck between a rock and a hard place. Koenma sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You may go, then. If you change your mind, you are always welcomed back."

She bowed. "I shall keep that in mind."

The two watched as she stepped into the dark void, which slowly closed after she was inside it. All of a sudden, Koenma was sore all over. He rolled his shoulders and sank further into his seat. Botan remained quiet all the while and for this he was grateful. He needed time to think and get his thoughts together. Unfortunately, time wasn't on their side. A part of him believed that Junko meant no harm to any world, but who knows what would happen when the new king reigns. A demons motives could never be revealed until the Demon World Tournament declared their new king.

"Botan."

The grim reaper inclined her head to her boss, ready to obey any order he had for her. "Yes, sir?"

"Find Yusuke for me. Perhaps he'll be able to persuade Junko for us."

"Yes, sir."

"Well, it's time I called it a day."

"Yes, it is getting late," Kurama said as he looked at his watch. "Ah, I'm sorry, Yusuke. It seems we've kept you far past the time you should have closed."

He grinned, putting all the dishes away. "It's fine. I'm sure if I tell Keiko the reason then she shouldn't too mad."

"You better hope so! My sister is getting irritated with you crashing on our couch every time she kicks you out," Kuwabara muttered. His face was a bit flushed from all the alcohol he had consumed. Drinking games with Yusuke was surely never boring, that was for sure.

"I'll be fine, but thanks for the offer, pal!" Yusuke said, leering at his friend.

Kurama chuckled and stood up. "Well, I best be off. You two get home safely."

"Night, bud."

With a wave, he left the boys to finish up for the night. He was late already and he wouldn't want to worry his mother more. Unless she assumed he was at his apartment. If that was the case... then Kurama could stay at his apartment instead of his mother's house. Although he wasn't in it much, he prefered it than his mother's home at times. Usually, he stayed there to get some work done or to get some extra sleep. Tonight seemed like no better night to do so.

He walked down the streets of the city, passing by the last few stragglers of the evening. Then, he felt a familiar presence. It was one he hadn't felt in such a long time. It was comforting to feel that energy again. Kurama smiled at the person leaning against a street light.

"It's been a long time, Hiei." Hiei snorted. "Have you been well? You haven't been around to see any of us in some time."

"Hm."

There was no sense in pursuing any more questions in his disappearance. In the end, it didn't matter. His friend was here now and that's what it came down to in the end. "Would you like a place to rest for a moment? I was on my way home and wouldn't mind the company."

If Hiei was contemplating his offer, it was unclear to him. Seeing his friend start to walk in the direction of his home. This pleased him. It would be good to spend time with his other friend after spending time with the other two. Kurama fell into step with him, his smile never faltering. They walked for a while until they reached a small apartment complex. They ascended the stairs until they reached his floor and walked to his door.

"It isn't much, but I hope you enjoy your stay." Taking out his keys, he opened the door, allowing Hiei to walk in first. "Are you hungry?" he asked as walked in after him.

"No."

A rumbling sound reached his ears, telling him otherwise to his friends objections. Kurama laughed, doing his best to stifle it behind his hand. "Let me make something small for us. If you feel like eating, you know you are more than willing to have some."

Shedding off his coat and loosening his tie, Kurama ventured into the kitchen to prepare a meal for the other demon. As he had already eaten before meeting Hiei, he wasn't ready to eat again and most likely wouldn't until the next day. Hiei's taste were very selective at time but he knew that when he was hungry, Hiei would eat anything.

After fixing the meal, he returned to the living room, finding Hiei looking out the balcony doors. "May I ask you where you've been, Hiei? I assumed that you were training and the others took my word for it."

"The Demon World Tournament will be here soon."

"This is true." Kurama smiled. "I'm sure you have a clear shot at being king this time."

Hiei looked at him over his shoulder before looking back out at the view. It was nothing special. It hardly showed the city; only a small part of his neighborhood and the cityscape. "Maybe."

He chuckled. As one worded as ever. He even missed that of the other demon. Looking at him now, he could see a lot of changes had occurred to him. Hiei was much taller than before. Last time, he hardly reached his shoulders, now he was taller than that. If Kuwabara were to see him now, there would be no reason for him to call Hiei a shrimp. The idea of the interaction was comical.

He did his best to stifle the yawn that came out of him, not wanting to go to bed just yet. "You're tired, Kurama. Go to bed."

Hearing Hiei give him such command... well, it was something Kurama never expected to hear. Many times, Hiei had given orders and tactics within battle. He never really expected for him to tell him to go to sleep. He suppose, though, that he couldn't object. Kurama would surely faint from shock if Hiei aggressively put him to bed himself. With a soft sigh, he walked to his bedroom. "Good night, Hiei. Feel free to anything you want to eat and the spare bedroom. You are more than welcomed to them."

Hiei listened to Kurama walk to his bedroom and waited for the soft click of his door to close. With a sigh, he rested his forehead against the glass door. It felt good now that he was among friends. Kurama was the only one he would dare to admit he called a friend. Yusuke was a close second and Kuwabara could be close behind as well. He may not have been physically near them, but he had watched the three interact. If he wasn't on such a tight schedule, he would have joined them. He couldn't, though. It would only delay his training more.

This was something that he could not allow.

Hiei came only to see Kurama and rest for a bit. Then, he would be gone before Kurama woke up. It was the only way he could keep his training in order and make sure it stayed on course. He moved to the kitchen and helped himself to a sandwich. He wanted something quick and easy on his stomach so that he could sleep for a while. After that, he would be able to get out of here.

"Hiei."

He knew that voice and it was one that he disliked with a passion. Hiei walked up to the patio and opened one of the doors. Koenma and Botan floated before him, stern looks on their faces. "What?"

"We need your help with something."

At this, he couldn't help but laugh. His help? Spirit World needed his help? It was absolutely humorous. How could they possibly believe that he would help them? "It was a nice joke, but you won't get the help you need from me."

Koenma scowled at this. Even Kuwabara and Yusuke had told him to "bug off". Kurama was their last resort and it seemed that he would have to go to him. "Hiei, this is something that could benefit the both of us," Botan quickly stated, leaning close to him.

Koenma could see that she had intrigued him for moment before Hiei gave a huff. "She isn't wrong, Hiei. We have heard that you were traveling around for a while. Training to become stronger for the next Demon World Tournament, we presume?" Although the demon said nothing, Koenma knew it was true. "We may have someone in mind. After you defeat them, though, we ask that you bring them in to us. That is all."

Hiei pondered this for a moment. The past few demons he had fought were a bit on the weaker side; or at least, to his level of experience they were. Try as he might, he couldn't find a strong enough demon that wasn't involved with Mukuro and King Enki. When he did, though, they quickly hid or fled. Hiei wasn't getting as strong as he would have liked.

Narrowing his eyes, he glared at the two. "I'm listening."


End file.
